Extension-table.



E. TYDEDL EXTENSION TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1909.

Patented July 30, 1912.

EMIL TYDEN, 01-? HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

EXTENSION-TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Application filed November 15, 1909. Serial No. 528,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL TYDEN, a citi- Michigan, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Extension-Tables, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction ofextension table, particularly adapted to permit the top to be readilyseparated from the pedestal for handling and shipment.

It consists of the features of construction shown and described asindicated in the claim.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a top plan View of the table, embodyingthis invention, the top being broken away to disclose the details ofconstruction pertaining to the invention in the slides, and the slidesbeing partly shown in section at their engagement with each other. Fig.2 is a detail plan view of a portion of the table showing one set of theslides in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection at the line 33 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section at the line 44 onFig. 1.

The table illustrated in the drawings is represented as having two pairof slides, S S and S S for connecting right and left halves of a dividedpedestal; but this invention is equally applicable to a table having anundivided pedestal. Two pairs of slides, S S and S S connect the twomembers of the top, T T with the corresponding pedestal members, that isto say, with the slides, S and S which are attached in the usual mannerto said pedestal halves respectively. The slides of the two sets arearranged similarly instead of symmetrically, for reasons which willhereinafter appear, that is to say the corresponding slides follow eachother in the same order from one side to the other of the table, insteadof being in the same order counting in opposite direction from themiddle, the slides, S for example, being the outermost of one set andthe innermost of the other set, the two slides, S being followedrespectively in the same direction by slides, S S and S the slide, Sbeing the innermost of the first mentioned set and the outermost of theother set. The adjacent slides are connected for relative sliding bydove-tail blocks, 3, one such block being rigid with each slide near theend and engaging the groove in the other slide, so that normally the twoblocks encounter each other, when the slides are relatively extended,and thereby limit the extension. This will be recognized as a familiarexpedient. The customary construction for limiting the relative slidingmovement of the two slides in the opposite direction is also employed,consisting of a stud, 4, projecting from one of the slides near the endthereof, opposite that in which is the rigid dove-tail block, 3, suchpin colliding with the other slide, when the slides are even,that is,unextended.

As illustrated, the stud, 4 protrudes in the dovetail slot of the slidein which it is mounted and collides with the rigid dovetail block of theother slide. For the purpose of this invention this stud, 4, is madeadapted to be withdrawn from the dove-tail slot so as not to collidewith the block, 3. Any convenient expedient for the purpose may beemployed, such as that illustrated, which consists in making the stud,4, in form of a spring-pressed bolt, of which the head, 4*, isaccessible at the outer side of the slide for withdrawing it against theresistance of the spring, 5, out of the dove-tail slot, that is out ofthe path of the block, 4, a detent shoulder, 6, being provided on whichthe head may be lodged by turning the bolt when thus withdrawn, forholding at a withdrawn position. While thus held withdrawn, it will beseen that the slot in which the slide or. spring bolt is mounted can bemoved to pass the blocks, 4, out of the ends of the dove-tail grooves inthe respective slides, thereby disengaging the slides from each other.In order to take advantage of this expedient for detaching the twomembers of the table top from the pedestal, it is only necessary tomove, for example, the right hand top member, T in direction forextension a distance a little greater than the distance of the inner endof either of the blocks, 3, from the proximate end of the slide withwhich it is rigid, being a little more than the length of the block plusthe diameter of the bolt, 4, thereby opening a path along which the lefthand top member, 4

member, T to be removed bodily with the slides attached to it; whereuponthe right hand top member, T may be moved inward past the middle pointan equal distance, causing its slide, S to be disengaged from theslides, S so that said top member, T, can be removed bodily with itsslides, S leaving the pedestal with all its slides to be handledindependently.

By making the stops which limit the closing-up movement of the tablemembers accessible and withdrawable at will, it will be seen that theassembling of the several members by the engagement of the cooperatingslides may be eii'ected by positioning the top members each successivelyupon the supporting member at a distance inward from the normal closedor meeting position of the two members, substantially equal to therelatively short length of the tongue pieces, 3, of the slides plus thedistance of the said tongue pieces from the nearer end of the slide,with the slides of the top member thus lapped alongside and bearinglaterally upon the slides of the supporting member for all the remainderof their length, and with the top member lodged upon the upper edges ofthe systems of slides; and that the slides of the top member are thusabsolutely positioned, both vertically and horizontally, with thetongues and grooves which are to be engaged perfectly alined, so thatthey may be slid into engagement without any danger whatever ofsplitting off the flanges by cramping orside-twisting in the process;and that the disengagement of the top members from the supporting membercan be efi ected in the same way and with the same advantage,that is,the engaged slides remain lapped upon each other for the greater part oftheir length throughout the whole sliding movement for disengagement ofthe tongues from the grooves, so that there is no danger of the crampingor side-twisting movement which would break the flanges in this part ofthe process.

If the slides of the two sets were arranged in the more usualsymmetrical or inverse order, it would happen that after having engagedone top member with the supporting member in the manner described, itwould be necessary, in order to similarly engage the other top member,to slide the first engaged member outward,that is, away from the closedor meeting position, far enough to entirely uncover the upper edge ofthe slides of the supporting member with which the slides of the secondtop member are to be engaged, because the slides of said second topmember being, either both the interior or both the exterior slides ofthe two sets, they would have to be either entered between the two setsof slides, or embracing the remaining slides of the two sets betweenthem; and in either case they would have to be entered from abovedownward.

Such outward movement of the first top member to uncover the supportingmember slides would carry the inner or meeting edge of said first topmember out beyond the end of the slides of the supporting member, adistance equal to the length of the tonguepiece or block, 3, plus itsdistance from the nearer end of the slide. Said first top member at thisposition,that is, so far outward from the middle position,in the absenceof the other top member, would overbalance the table, and it would benecessary to have the help of two persons, or some special apparatus, inorder to assemble the table properly in normal or up-standing position.This dil'liculty is avoided by arrangement of the slides as described,that is, with the two sets in the same order, instead of in the inverseor reciprocal order; for when thus arranged,in the same order, after thefirst top member has been positioned and engaged as described, the othertop member may be lodged upon'the supporting member with its slides, oneof them between the two sets of slides and the other outside one of thesets, and the protruding ends of the slides being then thrust under thefirst top member already positioned, until the two top members meet edgeto edge and then both top members being pushed together to move thefirst mentioned top member outward from closed position the necessarythree or four inches to clear the tongue piece, 3, the second member maybe moved over laterally to bring its slides against the slides of thesupporting member with which they are to be engaged, and it will then bein position to be perfectly guided, as was the first member, for thenecessary outward movement to engage the tongues of the slides with thegrooves of the opposite slides respectively, which engagement will beefi'ected by the time said second member is moved back to middle ormeeting position.

I claim An extension table, comprising in combination with a supportingmember, two top members, movable on the supporting member for closing upand extension; two sets of slides by which the top members are connectedto the supporting member for such extension, each set comprising twoslides, one secured to each top member and a slide between them securedto the supporting member; the two sets having said slides arranged inthe same order, adjacent slides having sliding engagement with eachother, the engaging means consisting of tongues, one projecting fromeach slide into the other near the opposite ends of the respectiveslides, said tongues being short relative to the length of the slides,and longitudinal grooves in the proximate faces of the slides extendingfrom the tongues which project ber, 1909.

EMIL TYDEN.

thereinto toward the opposite end of the slide; the several pairs ofengaged slides being provided, respectively, With stops positionedthereon for limiting the closing-up movement of the table members atclosed or meeting position, such stops being positioned so as to beaccessible at the assembled position of the top and being Withdravvableat Will to permit continuing the movement of the top members,respectively, in closing Witnesses:

MINNIE M. LINDENAN, M. GERTRUDE ADY.

Copies of this patent mav he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

